Kate Middleton Took Her Kids on a Luxury Spa Visit

There was some chatter last week, when Meghan Markle made her way to New York for the Baby Shower to End All Baby Showers, as to whether or not her sister-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge, might have made the trip as well. Kate Middleton and Meghan have not been seen in public together since Christmas, and there is always—particularly in the British press—a whole lot of scrutiny about the contours of their relationship.

Of course, Kate was not at the shower, though reports swirled that Meghan may have a second, smaller baby shower in London, for family, which one would assume would likely be attended by Kate. The date also overlapped with the school holiday for Kate’s children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. While the family was rumored to be on a ski vacation, it turns out, per the Daily Mail’s Rebecca English, the family was in fact spending the break at Anmer Hall, the Cambridges’s property on the Queen’s Sandringham estate.

On Tuesday afternoon last week, according to the Daily Mail, Kate took George and Charlotte—five and three years old, respectively—to a “luxury Norfolk hotel complex.” Sounds pretty nice! And there are some surprisingly specific details about Kate’s behavior at the outing, thanks to an onlooker. She was reportedly “wearing a maroon swimsuit,” as well as “full makeup, pearl earrings, and her iconic engagement ring.” She initially “tried to blend in amongst relaxing couples,” but, unsurprisingly, the high-profile squad was quickly recognized. Kate also “organized swimming races for the children,” and they “practiced little dives off the sides.” This observation is particularly amusing: “[Kate] said, ‘Ready, steady, go,’ and did a downward chopping action in the water to indicate the start of the race.” (Yes, that’s how an informal race in a pool would . . . usually start!) They ended the trip with a visit to the sauna and steam room, for about “four or five minutes each.” (Imagine having a trip you make to the pool with your kids covered in this sort of breathless detail.)

There is still much more. George and Charlotte were “impeccably behaved” at the pool. George won the races, “swimming front like a dog-paddle style, and jumping in from a squatting position [on] the side.” Charlotte was doing “sitting dives,” and she apparently repeatedly said, ‘Look, mummy—I’m diving in.’” (A nod to “Shallow,” perhaps?) This onlooker stated, “Both the children swam unaided and were super confident.” Kate, meanwhile, “looked stunning”: she had “her hair up in a butterfly type hair clip and looked extremely elegant.”

Per the outlet, both George and Charlotte have returned to school Monday in London.

January 2018

February 2018

It isn’t all that often we get full-on Regal Kate. But this look, for a function in Oslo, is even almost beyond “full-on Regal.” There’s a cape!

by Chris Jackson/Getty Images.

March 2018

This is a hat. We are not the type to attempt any sort of headwear, and this hat has us wanting to buy a range of bowler hats in every color of the rainbow.

by Mark Cuthbert/Getty Images.

April 2018

Hey, it’s Prince Louis!

by Chris Jackson/Getty Images.

May 2018

Only a few weeks after giving birth, Kate attended the wedding of her brother-in-law, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle. Princess Charlotte, a bridesmaid at this wedding, would go on to take part in two more wedding parties later in the year—at age three, she has been in more wedding parties than most people will be in their lifetimes.

by Jane Barlow/Getty Images.

June 2018

It’s rare we get a Kate Just Hanging Out on an “Off Day” candid like this one. She looks so chill and content!